If, like me, you pay attention to writers like Dan Savage and generally keep up with pop culture, the concept of #polyamory should have come to your attention in the past few years. If, like me, you are curious about new ideas, you may have read the books that Dan Savage referred to in his writings, such as Sex at Dawn, The Ethical Slut, Opening Up, and More than Two. These books, along with a variety of web sites describe what is happening with the emerging practice of polyamory.

Last week, I discussed how start-ups and growing businesses can lay the foundation for their marketing without a dedicated team. Once a company reaches the point where it has a healthy online and social media presence, and a steady stream of content, it’s time to start considering making that first hire.

As a marketer, I try to stay on top of industry trends. I’ve noticed that lately it’s become fashionable for some venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to cast off the need for marketing entirely. This vein of thought runs something like the famous Field of Dreams line “if you build it, they will come” — if your product is good enough, you don’t need to market it. Venture capitalist Fred Wilson even went so far as to say, “I believe that marketing is what you do when your product or service sucks…”

For start-ups and small businesses trying to establish their online presence, good content is key. But content alone is not enough — people have to see that content for it to make an impact, and they can only do that if your site has a strong online presence. Many growing companies come to this realization late and then must scramble to figure out how to improve their visibility. #Search Engine Optimization (#SEO) is the way do this and there are a number of tools out there that can help businesses of all sizes, with all levels of SEO experience. Read more →

When it comes to web page loading, good things do not come to those who wait. Research shows that 40 percent of visitors close a site that takes longer than three seconds to load. These facts send chills down the spines of marketers, but in truth, everyone in a business should be concerned: latency means fewer sales, more negative brand associations, and less return customers. Simply put, the slower your site, the worse your performance.

Halloween is just around the corner. You might find yourself frantically stockpiling sweets for droves of trick-or-treaters, or masterfully transforming a roll or two of Charmin into the walking dead. But surely such festivities are just a pleasant distraction, and have nothing to do with your day job? Not so fast! Ryan Young shows us 5 Halloween-inspired lessons for content marketers.

Though we work with technology companies large and small, startups will always have a special place in our heart. Last year we wrote a guide for What Tech Startups Absolutely Must Know About B2B Marketing. In addition to needing a solid content marketing plan, startups also require a host of tools to get the job done. Read on for Medium’s top free resources for startups.

Creating engaging, informative content about complex technology can be a tall order. Content marketers in the B2B tech space are held to the task of educating their audiences, while at the same time, entertaining them long enough to hold their interest and make the message resonate. 94% of content marketers use original, written content in their campaigns. The writing better be superb. Read on for 10 no-nonsense writing tips from Josh Bernoff, author of Writing Without Bullshit.

“There is no marketing today without content.” That’s the reflection of Helen Whelan, an expert content marketer at Apigee, a leading API management and predictive analytic company. Whelan has helped shape Apigee into an industry innovator in #content marketing strategies and publications. Apigee offers content in every form, from webinars, to e-books, to whitepapers, self-publishing in some cases, and using external third parties in others. Apigee has even created its own research arm, the Apigee Institute, a research and strategy organization that provides analysis and content for businesses striving to succeed in the digital world. At the base of all of Whelan and Apigee’s marketing is the understanding that content feeds the marketing engine from awareness to demand gen, and that this content is integral to the overall success of the business.